Long Road to Recovery
by Millemini
Summary: AU. Prequel to "To Live Again" and "For Long As We Both Shall Live" - my AU stories that feature a paraplegic Auggie in a wheelchair. Story starts with the accident that caused Auggie's spinal cord injury and covers, as the title suggests, his long road to recovery and the struggles he faced along the way through many months of hospitalization and rehab.
1. Chapter 1

_Here it is; the first chapter of the prequel to "To Live Again". It is inspired by what my boyfriend have told be about his own recovery and rehab after a skiing accident six years ago. As you might have guessed Auggie's injury and disability is based on my boyfriend. He read through this chapter and gave me the thumbs up to go ahead and publish it. Said I captured what he described about his emotions and the struggles he faced well. (Although he didn't deal with estrangement from his family. That's my storyline.) _

_Thanks for the help Martin. Love you babe! XOXO_

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Annie, Auggie or any other character borrowed from Covert Affairs. Just my storyline and the characters I've added to it._

* * *

**-Chapter 1-**

"Come on Auggie, you know you wanna come with us," Matt Anderson insisted. "Conditions are perfect ya know. Several feet of powder. You really don't wanna miss this opportunity."

Auggie sighed. His brothers had been trying to persuade him to go off-piste skiing with them, but he was hesitant. It was unfamiliar terrain and he felt it was an unnecessary risk.

"It's not safe Matt," he repeated, for what felt like the millionth time that afternoon.

"According to the guys that tipped me off it's perfectly safe. They're locals Aug, they know what they're talking about."

"How'd you know that?"

"Sheesh bro…" Josh sighed. He was about to lose his patience with his youngest brother. "Live a little, will you?"

Auggie had another long swig of his beer and thought about it for a moment; he was tempted. He loved off-piste skiing and he after another swig of beer he concluded that if a local said it was safe he'd trust that.

"Okay you win. Happy?"

"Awesome Augs!" Matt exclaimed happily. "Well, we'd better call it a night and we'll meet by the lift at seven, okay?"

Josh and Auggie agreed and they settled their bar tab and headed upstairs to their rooms.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

The next morning they'd made their way to the top of the hill and Auggie looked down the snow-covered mountainside. It looked perfect; pristine powdery snow glistened in the morning sun.

"Okay guys, ready?" Matt asked.

"Let's do this!" Josh exclaimed.

"On three?" Auggie asked. Now the he was on top of the hill he was actually excited about it. His brothers agreed, Auggie counted to three and they set off down the hill. A broad grin spread across Auggie's face and he let out a whoop of pure joy as adrenalin cursed through his body. His bliss lasted for a few more minutes before everything went wrong. He felt himself hitting something, flying in the air and landing. When he landed he felt crack in his lower back and he immediately knew that this wasn't good. The pain in his back was unbearable and when he realized he couldn't really feel his legs he started to freak out. The next few hours were a blur; the ski patrol arrived and fitted him with a collar around his neck and strapped him to a backboard, before they took him cautiously down the mountainside to a waiting chopper. When they arrived at the hospital in Denver he was submitted to a battery of tests. He welcomed the painkillers and anti anxiety medications they offered and succumbed to sleep.

* * *

Some days later he was settled into a private room and the verdict was in; he'd sustained fractures in a couple of vertebras in his lower back and his spinal cord was injured. He would probably never walk unaided again and he had months of recovery and rehab ahead of him. His whole life felt like a nightmare; like he was falling into a dark, bottomless pit with nothing to pull him back up. All because he'd let his reckless brothers convince him to come skiing with them. A tear rolled down his cheek as he struggled to find a comfortable position in bed. An orthotist had fitted him with a rigid back brace to stabilize his back while the fractured vertebras healed and make sure his spine didn't get further injuries. Finding a comfortable position with his upper body encased in a hard plastic shell from his armpits and down to his hips proved to be virtually impossible and he made a mental note to ask the nurse for something to help him sleep when it was time for that.

Auggie's mind wandered back to the conversation he'd had with his doctor a few hours earlier; the man had had the gall to suggest that he was lucky that his injuries weren't worse; once his back was healed he'd have full use of his upper body; his bowl and bladder functioned as normal and he should be able to be a father in the future. He also still had some control of the muscles in his legs, as well as some sensation. The doctor had said that if the injury had been a bit farther up in his back and complete he'd be looking at a far worse scenario. Auggie struggled to see anything positive about the situation and he was deeply immersed in his self-indulgent pity party when there was a knock on his door. He quickly wiped the tears from his cheeks and straightened up in bed to the best of his ability.

"Who's there?" He was surprised at how gruff his voice sounded. The door cracked open and his mother entered; followed by his father, Matt and Josh.

"Auggie, how are you doing?" Carol Anderson's voice was laced with worry and she quickly made her way across the room and grasped Auggie's hand.

"What do you think Mom? I'm just peachy! Because I let those two idiots," he pointed to Matt and Josh with his free hand, "persuade me to go skiing in unfamiliar terrain I'll never walk again."

"Auggie…" his mother said in her soothing Mom tone, stroking his cheek. He swatted her hand away.

"Don't 'Auggie' me like that. This isn't a minor scratch that'll go away if you kiss it; this is permanent and life altering. My life will never be the same again. You know what? You can all get the hell out of here and leave me alone."

"Honey, I understand that you're upset and this is a lot to take in and process, but you'll need us to support you through the coming few months."

"I've managed on my own since I left for college and I'll manage now. Get out. Now."

"Auggie," his dad approached the bed and tried to calm him down.

"I mean it. Leave or I'll call for a nurse and have you kicked out."

His parents sighed and realized they wouldn't get anywhere with Auggie in his current state of mind. Carol kissed him on the forehead and his dad patted his shoulder before they left. As soon as the door snapped shut behind them tears started flowing down Auggie's cheeks and if he'd been able to he would've curled into a ball in bed.

* * *

Later that evening he'd told the nurse that he didn't want any visitors. Not even his family was to be allowed to see him. She'd tried to argue that he needed their support, but he didn't budge. She'd given him something to help him sleep and helped him to find a position to sleep in that wasn't completely uncomfortable. The following morning an orderly brought him a tray of breakfast and helped him adjust the bed so he was sitting as upright as possible; to make it easier for him to eat. He was surprised that he actually felt hungry and polished off the scrambled eggs, toast and yoghurt on the tray. As he finished eating a nurse came in and informed him that his mother was in the waiting area, wanting to see him. Auggie refused. He just couldn't face any of his family at the moment. The nurse sighed, took the tray that had held his breakfast and left the room. An hour later an orderly came into his room with his bag and informed him that his mother had brought his skis and other gear with her back to Illinois and his family were going home that afternoon. Suddenly something dawned on Auggie; he hadn't informed his employer back in DC about what had happened and he doubted that anyone else had done it. He'd had his cell phone in the inner pocket of his parka and he had no idea where it had ended up. The only thing he was sure of was that the battery was probably dead by now. He pushed the call button and shortly after a nurse entered the room.

"What can I do for you Mr. Anderson?"

"It's Auggie, please. I was wondering if you've got my cell phone? It was in the inside pocket of the jacket I was wearing when the accident happened."

"I'll go check. We usually bag all the clothes you wore when you were admitted, so it should be in the storage room"

"Thanks." Auggie managed a weak smile.

"No problem. If there's anything we can do for you, just ask. We're here to make sure you're at comfortable as possible."

A little while later the nurse returned with his cellphone. As predicted it was dead.

"Could please you see if you can find the charger in my bag?"

After a short search the nurse found the charger in one of the outside pockets and helped Auggie plug it into an outlet and placed it on his nightstand so he could reach it easily.

"Thanks. That's great."

"No problem. Anything else you need?"

"If you could get me something to drink it would be great."

"Sure. Water okay? Or do you want something else?"

"Water is great," Auggie assured her with a small smile.

"Water it is," she said as she left the room. "Just call if you need anything."

A few minutes later an orderly brought him a pitcher of ice water and a plastic cup with a straw in it. It was a bit cumbersome to pour water from the pitcher, but after a bit of struggling he managed to fill half a glass. Because of his reclined position he was grateful for the straw – he doubted that he'd be able to drink normally without getting himself wet.

* * *

He'd somehow drifted off to a slumber and the orderly bringing his lunch woke him up. As he ate his lunch he figured that at least he'd killed a few hours; Auggie was restless by nature and being stuck in a bed for the fifth day in a row was starting to get to him. After he'd eaten most of the meal that had been brought to him he pushed it aside and reached for his cellphone. It was fully charged and he turned it on. After Auggie entered his pin code the messages started coming in. He had several text messages and VoiceMails waiting for him. His boss had obviously been trying to get a hold of him. It didn't surprise Auggie; he should've returned to work several days earlier. He took a deep breath and dialed Arthur Campbell's number. He answered on the third ring.

"Campbell."

"Mr. Campbell, it's Auggie Anderson."

"Anderson! Where the hell are you? You were supposed to return to work on Monday and we've been trying to get a hold of you for days. Care to explain?"

"Long story…" Auggie sighed. He didn't really know what to say or where to start.

"Well, I haven't got all day, so please share."

"I'm in a hospital in Denver; I've been here since Sunday morning."

"What happened? When will you be back?"

"I went off-piste skiing with my brothers and hit a rock. I've fractured a couple of vertebras and sustained an injury to my spinal cord. I have no idea when I'll be able to come back to work. I'm sorry I haven't called you earlier; it's been the last thing on my mind."

"Spinal cord injury? You're paralyzed?"

"Not completely, but the doctors don't think I'll ever be able to walk unaided again."

"Oh my… I'm so sorry to hear that Auggie," Arthur sounded shocked. Then he pulled himself together. "Well, it's a good thing you don't need working legs to be a software engineer. Have the hospital send the necessary paperwork to HR and we'll place you on medical leave. I expect you to keep in touch and let me know what's going on at least once a week. Can you manage that?"

Auggie was shocked. He'd expected Arthur to offer him a severance package and let him go. That he was so understanding came as a total surprise to him.

"Really…you're not letting me go?"

"Why would I let you go? You're one of our best junior developers, you've been reliable and you work hard. I want you back when you're ready."

"Thank you Mr. Campbell. I really appreciate it."

"Focus on your recovery and if you need anything don't hesitate to contact us; we'll do whatever we can to help you."

"Thanks again. I'll have the doctor sort out the paperwork and send it to HR as soon as possible."

"Great. I've got to get to a meeting, so I've got to go. Keep me posted."

"Will do." Arthur ended the call.

Auggie was in a daze as he rested his phone on his thigh; he still had a job and even better, the support of his employer. "One less thing to worry about," he thought. He had no idea how long he'd be at the hospital in Denver or where he'd go next. He knew he had a long road ahead of him, and he decided to take it one step at a time, metaphorically speaking of course.

* * *

_That's the first chapter. The second one is in the works and I've pretty much got the whole story outlined. _

_Please leave me a review and let me know what you think._


	2. Chapter 2

_Here's the second part of "Long Road to Recovery". Thank you SO much for the warm reception the first chapter received. :o) _

_Again my boyfriend has read through it and thinks it's good enough to post. - Love ya Martin - thanks for putting up with me and helping me with this! XOXO_

_DISCLAIMER: I don't Auggie or any other character borrowed from Covert Affairs. Just my alternate universe and the characters I've created._

* * *

**-Chapter 2-**

A couple of weeks after he kicked his family out Auggie almost regretted his rash decision. He'd never felt so alone in his life. He had never been prone to loneliness; he'd grown up with four older brothers in a house that was always buzzing with life and solitude had been a rare treat in his younger years. When he'd gone to college he'd opted for a single room in the dorms and he'd often chosen to stay at school over weekends when the rest of the students went home to see their families. Now he was alone in a hospital far from both his family and his home and he had no idea what the future would bring. The only thing he knew for sure was that he had a job. He'd been on the verge of calling his mother a few times, but his pride and stubbornness won out. He was glad that one of the volunteers had helped him get his laptop from his bag and set it up. Thanks to the Internet connection his iPhone provided he was able to check his email, follow his Twitter timeline, play some games online and otherwise keep himself somewhat entertained. Another volunteer had picked up some sweats and t-shirts for him, so he was able to get dressed in something more comfortable than hospital gowns.

The days were all pretty much the same; he was woken up around 7 in the morning when someone came to give him a sponge bath and help him get dressed. After the morning routine he ate breakfast and then it was time for a round of physical therapy. The therapists worked with his legs to ensure that he maintained as much muscle mass and strength in them as possible. The physical therapy sessions were a highlight in his day and he put as much effort into them as he could; the hope that he might be able to walk again with enough training was his motivation. For the rest of the day there wasn't much happening; lunch was served, then he tried to kill the time to dinner was served by listening to audiobooks or playing on his laptop. After dinner he repeated the routine until someone came to help him get ready to sleep around 10 at night. Auggie struggled to sleep at night; he'd always preferred to sleep on his side or his stomach, and now he was forced to lie flat on his back. A few days a week one of the volunteers at the hospital would turn up, but so far Auggie hadn't really connected with any of them; most of them were much older than him and especially the female ones were acting like overprotective grandmothers. He missed having someone his own age to talk with.

# # # # # # # # # # #

Auggie was listening to an audiobook when there was a knock on the door.

"Come on in," he called out. A young man Auggie hadn't seen before with entered the room. Auggie noticed he was wearing a volunteer badge and that he seemed a bit insecure as he approached him so he managed a smile in his direction.

"Mr. Anderson, I'm Todd Higgins. I just started as a volunteer here."

Auggie extended his right hand in Todd' direction. "Nice to meet you Todd. I'm Auggie. Mr. Anderson makes me think of my dad."

"Okay. Um… The staff said you haven't been out of the room since you got here and they figured you might like a change of scenery and maybe you'd like to pick up some stuff at the convenience store downstairs."

Auggie's mood brightened instantly; he'd barely been out of bed since he'd been admitted and he was getting a bit restless. He hoped the store had some computer magazines and although he'd never been much of a sweet tooth he'd been craving a chocolate bar.

"That would be great. I've barely been out of this bed since I got here."

"We've got a wheelchair ready for you, so if you're game we'll help you into that."

"I'm game," Auggie assured Todd with a small smile.

Twenty minutes later they were in the elevator. Auggie cringed at the sight of himself in the mirror that lined one of the walls in the elevator; he was pale, dressed in grey sweatpants and they'd pulled a pair of wool socks onto his feet. He was wearing one of the skin tight, seamless t-shirts provided by the orhtoist under the brace and a hoodie with a front zipper over it. He almost regretted not taking the orthoist's offer to add a color or pattern to the brace, but at the time he'd come to take measurements Auggie hadn't cared and had opted for the standard white. It wasn't like he was wearing it forever anyway. He hated the thought of being 'the guy in the wheelchair' for the rest of his life.

When the elevator reached the ground floor Todd pushed Auggie out of the elevator and headed toward the convenience store there. Auggie fiddled with the zipper pull on his hoodie and felt a bit embarrassed about being seen in public in his current state. He let out a heavy sigh.

"Are you okay?" Todd asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just hate being so helpless and this damn back brace is pretty uncomfortable. I know it has to be on tight to restrict movement as much as possible, but I can't wait to get rid of it."

"I get that. I'd hate it too." He quickly squeezed Auggie's shoulder. "So what are you getting?"

"Hopefully a few magazines. I think there's a new issue of PC World on the stands and I think there are a few other interesting magazines out too."

"You're into computers?"

"Computer engineer actually. I work as a software developer at Murphy Software in DC."

"Really? I'm actually about to finish a BS in Computer Science at University of Colorado and I'll probably go into a Master's program this fall. Where did you go to school?"

"MIT. Finished a Master's in software engineering there last spring and started working at Murphy right after graduation."

"Wow! I applied at MIT, but didn't get accepted. Have you always been into computers?"

"Yeah. Electronics in general really. Drove my parents crazy by picking stuff apart, trying to figure out how they worked. Have to admit I wasn't always very successful at putting them back together."

"Sounds like me," Todd chuckled. They chatted easily while they worked their way through the store. Auggie picked up several magazines and a couple of paperback books. He also bought a couple of chocolate bars and some chewing gum. After they finished shopping they ended up chatting over a couple of cups of coffee in the cafeteria before Todd took him back to his room.

* * *

Almost 10 weeks after the accident Auggie was on a medical transport plane, on his way to a spinal rehab facility just outside Reston, Virginia. It had been the longest 10 weeks in Auggie's life; he'd spent most of the time at the hospital in bed and he'd lost count of the number of audio books he'd listened to while he'd been there. It had been a very welcome variety when he'd been allowed out of the bed to sit in a wheelchair for a few hours a day and sometimes a volunteer had pushed him around the park that surrounded the hospital. He loved being outside and enjoyed the feeling of the sun in his face and the fresh air. The days Todd came in had been the highlights; the two of them had hit it off from the start and he'd ended up asking Auggie for some help with an assignment he was working on. It had been a great distraction that had kept his brain occupied for a few days.

The fractured vertebras had healed nicely and Auggie had been able to trade the rigid back brace for a more flexible one about a week earlier. He was shocked at how much muscle mass he'd lost in his upper body and knew it would take a lot of hard work to get back to some semblance of the shape he'd been in before the accident happened. Auggie had been an athlete most of his life and loved to keep himself in shape. Ever since high school he'd worked out several times a week, lifting weights and doing cardio. He'd always loved to run outside and that was one of the things it bothered him the most that he wouldn't be able to do anymore. Skiing was another thing he'd definitely miss. Auggie was still feeling very uncertain about his future and what the next few months had in store for him, apart from lots of grueling physical therapy and training to regain the strength and stamina he had only a few months ago.

# # # # # # # # # # #

When he arrived at the rehab facility he was brought the care coordinator's office for a chat before they'd get him settled into his room.

"Hi Auggie, I'm Lindsay Hadfield, I'll be coordinating your rehab here. Did the trip go well?" She held out her hand for Auggie to shake. Auggie took it and shook it as firmly as he could manage.

"Nice to meet you Lindsay. Flight was okay, thanks."

"You probably wonder what the plans are for your stay here?"

"Sort of, but I've kind of figured I'll just have to take it as it comes. I have no idea what to expect."

"One of the first things we'll have done is we'll find a wheelchair that fits you well. We won't take measurements for a permanent chair yet; but we want you to be able to get around independently. You'll go through several therapy sessions a day; physical therapy, occupational therapy and all the training you need to live independently as a wheelchair user."

Auggie nodded, but didn't say anything, so Lindsay carried on.

"Your file says you're a computer engineer. Do you work in the area?"

"I'm a software developer at Murphy Software. The office is in the business district of DC."

"I see, where do you live?" "

"I have a condo in Georgetown, but I'll have to sell that and find somewhere else to live before I'm discharged, it's on the third floor of an older building and there's no elevator. That might be a bit of a problem now."

"We'll try to help you with that if you don't have family or friends that can." She paused for a moment before she continued. "You look tired, so I suggest we get you settled into your room and you can take a nap before dinner."

"Thanks, that sounds good to me. I haven't been out of bed for this long since the accident and I'm feeling kind of wiped out."

* * *

Auggie had been right in assuming that the physical therapy would be grueling, but at the same time it felt great to get started on the work needed for him to get back into shape instead of just sitting around, trying to kill time all day. Another great motivation for him was that he'd been measured for leg braces and he hoped to be able to get around with the aid of those and crutches instead of a wheelchair. They should arrive the following week and Auggie looked forward to it. His physical therapist had suggested it as a supplement to the wheelchair; to help his circulation, but Auggie was set on skipping the wheelchair altogether. Now it was Friday afternoon and he was pretty beat after a long week of therapy and training, but it was a good kind of tired. His arms ached as he pushed himself down the hallway from the therapy room to his room, but as much as he hated to be in a wheelchair it felt good to be able to get around independently again and not have to ask for help every time he needed something. Just as he entered the room the phone on the desk started ringing. He made his way over there and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hi Auggie, it's Mary at the reception. I have Arthur Campbell here. He wants to see you."

"Oh…um…just send him in."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, he's my boss. I'll see him in my room."

"Thanks Auggie."

Auggie spent the few minutes from Mary ended to call 'till there was a knock on his door trying to freshen up so he looked as together as possible. He quickly ran a comb through his hair and just as he pulled on a sweatshirt to cover up the back brace he was still wearing there was a knock on the doorjamb.

"Mr. Campbell, come on in and have a seat." Auggie gestured to the armchair next to the bed.

"Good to see you Auggie. You look better than I expected."

"I'm getting better. Still have a long way to go though."

"I know. Take your time – your job is waiting form you when you're ready. I just wanted to see how you were doing and check if there's anything Murphy can do for you."

"There's actually one thing… My condo is on the third floor of an old building with no elevator. Moving back there is obviously not an option, so I need to sell it and find somewhere else to live. You wouldn't happen to know a good real estate agent?"

"I'm sure my brother can help you. I'll give him a call and have him get in touch with you. You have your cell phone, right?"

"Yeah and my laptop, so you can email me too. I really appreciate it Mr. Campbell."

"Don't mention it. I'd better get going, my wife's got dinner ready."

"Thanks for dropping by. I'll keep in touch."

"I know you will. I'll have my brother get in touch with you as soon as possible. Here," Arthur held out a thick manila envelope to Auggie. He took it from with a puzzled look on his face.

"What's this?"

"Just something to keep you entertained," he said as Auggie withdrew a couple of books of Sudoku's and a pen. "Even if you're busy with therapy now I bet there is some time to kill. This place doesn't look like entertainment central."

"Thanks. I really like these. Gives my brain some exercise."

Arthur bid him goodbye and gave Auggie's shoulder a firm squeeze before he left.

* * *

Saturday evening after dinner Auggie made his way down to the residents lounge. He'd mostly spent his afternoons and evenings alone in his room, but there was no TV there and there was a big football game on that evening. He hoped whoever else was in the lounge wanted to watch the game too. When he entered the room it was empty and he quickly grabbed the remote and turned on the game. It had just started and soon Auggie was deeply immersed in it. When it was time for a commercial break he noticed a humming sound behind him and he turned to see a young girl in a big electric wheelchair with a ventilator hooked up to a tube on her throat.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said with a smile. "I'm Allison. I'd shake your hand, but as you might have guessed I'm not able to."

"Oh, it's okay, I just didn't hear you coming. I'm Auggie."

"Nice to meet you Auggie. You seemed to be pretty into the game."

"Yeah, it's been a while since I've watched football and I couldn't miss the opportunity to watch a Bears game."

"Ah, you're from Chicago? Why are you doing your rehab here?"

"Glencoe, just north of Chicago, but I've lived in DC for the past year, since I graduated from MIT."

"What happened?"

"Skiing accident about three months ago. Off-piste skiing in unfamiliar terrain wasn't the greatest idea I've ever had. Fractured a couple of vertebras in the lower part of my back and injured my spinal cord." Auggie shrugged. "They don't think I'll ever walk again."

"Well, you could be worse off, like me."

"What happened?"

"Broke my neck in a car crash a few months ago. I'm a C1 quadriplegic and I'm completely paralyzed from the neck down. Can't even breathe without a ventilator."

"There's no hope of getting better?"

"Nope. This is it. But, I'm lucky to be alive. It was touch and go for a while. I hope to graduate high school with my class in May and I've got a free ride through Georgetown, but studying full time is out of the question, so I'll do a class or two a semester. What are your plans for the future?"

"I'm going back to work, I'm just on medical leave and when I'm ready my job is waiting for me."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a computer engineer and work as a software developer."

"So your injury won't really derail your plans that much? As far as I can tell your arms and hands work just fine and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with your brain."

Auggie didn't know how to respond; he remained silent while processing Allison's words. Then the football game resumed on the TV.

"I'll let you enjoy the game. See you around."

"Wait, you don't need to leave."

"I'm not that into football, but thanks for offering."

Before Auggie could voice a protest she'd left the room, leaving him with his mind racing. It hit him that he was pretty damn lucky; compared to Allison's injuries he'd just hit a speed bump; in a few months he'd be back to work and it probably wouldn't impact his career at all. He was amazed that she was even able to look forward.

* * *

_Please leave a review and let me know what you think._

_I have at least one chapter in the works for "For As Long As We Both Shall Live" and I hope to have it ready for publishing over the weekend. Stay tuned! :o)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you so much for the reviews the previous chapter received :o)_

_Spent my Sunday writing and my man read through it and suggested a few changes. After a bit of editing I got the thumbs up to go ahead and publish it._

_Thanks again for all of you help Martin. Love you babe. XOXO_

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Annie, Auggie or any other character borrowed from Covert Affairs. Just my universe & the characters I've created._

**_PS! Follow me on Twitter -_****_ Millemini_FF :o)_**

* * *

**-Chapter 3-**

After the football game was over Auggie headed back to his room and as he made his way through the corridors of the rehab facility his mind wandered back to his brief encounter with Allison. Their short conversation had left his mind racing; that she was actually planning a future, despite a disability that left her completely dependent on assistance from other people was mind-blowing to him. A wave of shame washed over him; compared to Allison he had nothing to complain about and he wowed to not let himself wallow in self-pity like he had again. If Allison could look forward so could he.

* * *

Late the following week the orthoist came with his leg braces and a pair of brand new forearm crutches. Terrence, his physical therapist, was also present.

"Ready for this?" the orthoist asked as he handed Auggie a pair of thigh-high black socks to wear under the braces.

"To stand on my own two feet again? Hells yeah," Auggie replied with a grin as he pulled his sweatpants off and rolled the long socks onto his legs. When that was done the orthoist showed him hos to put the braces on and adjust them correctly. When that was done he pulled the sweatpants back on and then put on a pair of sneakers. Terrence showed him the correct technique to get to a standing position and after a couple of struggling attempts he managed to get to his feet. He heard the click as the knee joints locked into place and he couldn't help grinning as a little boy as he found himself face to face with Terrence and the orthoist.

"How do they feel? We might need to do some adjustments."

"So far so good."

"Why don't you try to take a step? Use your hip muscles to move your legs forward," Terrence suggested.

Auggie nodded and with a bit of effort he managed a step and then another one. It was harder than he'd imagined, but he still left the wheelchair behind when the session was over almost an hour later and slowly made his way down the hall toward the dining room to eat lunch.

* * *

After about a week of struggling to get around with the aid of leg braces and crutches Auggie started to realize that using them as his sole method of getting around might not be feasible. It was slow, even if his pace had picked up a little he moved at a snails pace, and his arms and shoulders were hurting. It was definitely a lot more straining than pushing himself around in a wheelchair. He stopped and leaned against the wall on the side of the hallway for a moment before he made his way down to the therapy room where Terrence was waiting for him.

"Hi Auggie, how are you today?" he greeted him when he entered the room.

"I'm fine. I've realized that you're right and I'm a stubborn idiot."

"Huh?"

Auggie slowly lowered himself into the chair across from Terrence and gestured to his crutches.

"This isn't working. I need a wheelchair." Auggie took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair, raking a hand through his hair. Saying the words out loud felt like a major setback.

"I'm glad you realized it before you gave yourself chronic problems with your arms and shoulders. I'll get chair you loaned for you for now and I'll set up an appointment to have you measured for a permanent chair as soon as possible, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," Auggie said with a sigh.

"Listen to me Auggie; I know you think this is a step back and that you really wanted to avoid the wheelchair altogether, but that's just not realistic. What you're doing now is really a big step forward."

"I know. I just hate the idea of being 'the poor guy in the wheelchair' for the rest of my life."

"I think you should talk to Lindsay about these things Auggie, but let me say one thing; it's up to you to make sure you're not seen as that."

Auggie nodded, but didn't answer.

"Oh, about the wheelchair; is your medical insurance paying it or will you be paying yourself? They need to know when I book the appointment."

"I'll pay it myself if that's faster. I've got a bit of money saved up."

"It's quicker if we don't have to deal with the insurance paperwork and the time they use to process claims, but a top-of-the-line lightweight wheelchair is pricey."

"I've done some online research, from what I can tell they run around four or five grand?"

"Depending on the brand and what kind of extras you add that's about right."

"I can manage that. I don't want to wait for my insurance company."

"Okay. I'll set up the appointment then. I'll try to get us in as soon as possible. Now, shall we get on with todays work?"

"Sure," Auggie said as he pulled off his sweatpants and sneakers and started to remove the braces from his legs. When he left the therapy room an hour later he left the braces and crutches with Terrence since he would mainly be using them during his physical therapy sessions in the future.

* * *

That afternoon he was working on his computer when his cell phone rang; he didn't recognize the number on the screen, so he was slightly apprehensive when he answered it. When he hung up the phone fifteen minutes later he was in a daze; it appeared that his dad had taken out an insurance policy on him when he left for college and his injury and subsequent disability meant he qualified for a major payout. They would send over the paperwork and as soon as he filed it out and returned it to the insurance company they'd process the claim and deposit the money to his bank account. Auggie thought it was almost too good to be true and decided that he wouldn't spend the money prematurely. He'd wait until they were in his bank account. He hoped it worked out; it would take away many of the worries he had.

Arthur Campbell's brother had contacted him and he'd sent an assistant over to get a key from Auggie so he could have a look at his condo and have it appraised. Hopefully they'd be able to put it on the market soon. It was in a popular area, and Arthur's brother had said he thought it would probably sell fast at a good price. Auggie hoped he was right and that he'd have somewhere to live ready when he was done with his rehab. The insurance payout would definitely make it easier to find a new place and make the changes needed for it to be appropriate for a wheelchair user. He also needed to buy a new car and have hand controls installed; his current car was a '67 Corvette with a manual transmission and he knew he'd never be behind the wheel of that again.

* * *

"Hi Auggie. How are you? I have to admit I was a bit surprised when you requested an appointment with me," Lindsay said when he entered her office a couple of days after he'd botched the braces and crutches. She was not only the care coordinator; she was also a psychologist specializing in helping people to cope with life changing disabilities. Auggie had resisted therapy sessions with her for the month he'd been at the rehab facility, but now he needed to talk to someone and his options were limited.

"I need to talk to someone," he said.

"That's why I'm here. What's on your mind?"

"Well…a lot of things really…my mind's been working on overdrive for the past few days. There are so many things happening and I'm just overwhelmed I think." Auggie paused briefly, and then the worlds kept tumbling out of him. Everything he'd "Right after the accident, while I was at the hospital in Denver, I was pretty sure my life was over and I didn't really see what the future would bring. I just didn't see myself living as a cripple in a wheelchair. I've been an athlete since childhood and I don't know…this just doesn't feel like me. Then Terrence introduced the possibility of getting around with braces on my legs and crutches and I was fitted with braces and it felt so good to be back on my own two feet again. Unfortunately my arms and shoulders don't agree and if I'm to be perfectly honest with myself; it's too damn slow. So I went with Terrence to a wheelchair dealer yesterday and they took measurements and I've ordered a wheelchair. A Quickie um...something...anyway, it's supposed to be the best lightweight chair out there. It feels like I'm taking a step back, like I'm giving up…I hate the thought of being 'the poor guy in the wheelchair' for the rest of my life. I also feel ashamed for wallowing in self pity like I do; a couple of weeks ago I met Allison in the lounge and she blew me away with her positivity and ability to look forward. Where is she by the way? I haven't seen her around lately?"

"Okay Auggie…I guess we'll have to break this down one thing at the time. First of all I'm glad you've realized that you need to talk things out with someone. Keeping things bottled up inside you won't do you any good."

"I know."

"I also completely understand that you're overwhelmed; your life is changing and there are many things to deal with. May I ask why you're refusing to see your family and won't take their calls? You do need their support and having them to lean on would make things easier for you."

"I don't want to talk about that. I've made my decision and that's final. If you're going to pester me about that I'll leave," Auggie reached for the brake release on his wheelchair.

"Auggie, stop! I respect your decision and I won't push the subject."

"Thanks," Auggie put his hand back into his lap.

"Terrence never suggested that the braces and crutches should be your sole way of getting around, it's supposed to be a supplement to your wheelchair. You can use them around the house; to be able to stand by the kitchen counter when you're cooking and stuff like that. Or take short walks. It's great for your circulation and you shouldn't give up on that altogether. I'm sure Terrence have explained this to you already?"

"Yeah, he has and I'm a stubborn idiot," Auggie said with a self-conscious chuckle.

"As for how people see you that's up to you; if you send out an image of a poor guy in a wheelchair that's what people see. But if you're a positive, confident person it will make it easier for people to see past your disability. There will always be prejudiced people out there and it's your job as a disabled person to change their perception of you. It might not seem fair, but that's the way it is."

"I hate to think of myself as disabled," Auggie admitted.

"Truth is that you are; you're a paraplegic and that's not going to change. Yes, your life has changed, things will be different and there are things you won't be able to do anymore, but there are still plenty of things you can do. You've made great progress physically lately and all of your therapists are very pleased with how hard you're working."

"I actually enjoy all the physical training. I've always loved working out and I like to keep myself in shape. I was in pretty good shape when I was injured and I intend to get back to where I was, at least as close as I can."

"See, that's the kind of attitude I like," Lindsay said and patted Auggie's sholder.

"You didn't answer my question about Allison."

"Oh, sorry, it slipped my mind. She's been at the hospital for a few days, she got an infection in her tracheotomy."

"What's that?"

"The tube in her throat that her ventilator is hooked up to."

"That doesn't sound good. Will she be okay?"

"Yeah, she's getting better and should be back here by the weekend. Her high school graduation is in a week and a half and she's determined to make it to that."

"She is amazing. I know that compared to her I've just hit a speed bump and I shouldn't be complaining, but it's still hard."

"I know it is and you're allowed to have bad days. Just try to get past it and look forward. You've got a job waiting for you and I'm sure everything else will come together too. You've still got a couple of months to go here before you're ready to be discharged."

"You're right and I'll try to stay positive. I just needed to talk things out. Thanks for your time."

"That's why I'm here. Do you want to set another appointment with me?"

"I think I'm good for now, but I'll let you know when I need to talk to you again."

"Okay. See you later."

* * *

_Again - I love reviews! ;o)_


	4. Chapter 4

**_I'm on Twitter - go follow Millemini_FF_**

_I don't think this story is being read by many (judging by the lack of feedback and the traffic stats), but I enjoy writing it and my boyfriend is still eagerly supporting the process, so I intend to finish it. _

_As with the rest of it Martin have read through it and deemed it postable (after some editing)._

_-Thanks for your help babe! Love ya! XOXOXO_

_DISCLAIMER: Don't own Annie, Auggie or any other Covert Affairs character. Just my universe and characters._

* * *

**-Chapter 4-**

"Hey Auggie, your wheelchair is ready for pickup. If you want to we can go and pick it up. They have time to see us." Terrence came into Auggie's room a Thursday afternoon about two weeks after he'd ordered it. Auggie was sitting in the armchair by the bed, reading a book. He was supposed to be at a session with his occupational therapist, but she was taking a sick day and Auggie had the afternoon off. He was tired from all the training and had welcomed the unexpected break. Now his mood lifted; it had felt like a setback to go to the wheelchair dealer and order a permanent wheelchair, but he'd had a couple of weeks to process it and now he looked forward to get the top-of-the-line lightweight wheelchair that was made to fit him.

"Sure. Give me a few minutes to freshen up?"

"I'll go get the van. Be outside in 15 minutes. Okay?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

When they returned to the rehab facility later that afternoon Auggie felt better about things than he had in a long time. His wheelchair was a perfect fit; it was comfortable to sit in, light, easy to maneuver and the low back provided the right amount of support, but at the same time allowed a bigger range of motion that made it easier to push himself forward. It was miles ahead of the chair he'd loaned for the past month and a half; it was slightly too big for him and as his physical condition and upper body strength had improved the high back had started to annoy him because it restricted his movements. Just as he reached his room his cellphone started vibrating in his jeans pocket and as he pulled it out and looked at the screen he could've sworn his heart skipped a beat. It was his ex-girlfriend Isabelle. They'd met during their sophomore year at MIT and they'd been in a relationship their junior and senior year. When Auggie decided to go to DC to work for Murphy after graduation and Isabelle accepted a job offer from a big software company in Silicone Valley they'd decided to end their relationship. They cared deeply for each other, but neither of them was ready to give up their dream jobs to live close to the other and they agreed that they didn't want a long distance relationship. Auggie hadn't had much contact with Isabelle after they'd left MIT. The last time he'd heard from her was just before Christmas. He took a deep breath and answered the call.

"Hi Isabelle! How are you?"

"Hi Aug. I'm doing good. Love my job. What about you?"

"Been worse, getting better," he answered truthfully. He wondered how to break the news about the accident to Isabelle.

"What are you talking about?"

"Long story," Auggie sighed.

"I've got time. What's going on?"

"In Feburary I was in Aspen with my family, at our usual weekend together. I went off-piste skiing with two of my brothers and ended up with a broken back."

"Broken back…? Auggie, what are you trying to tell me?"

"I injured my spinal cord. I'll never walk unaided again."

"Oh my, I'm so sorry." Auggie cringed at the pity in her voice and he suddenly felt a wave of annoyance washing over him.

"I don't want your pity. I don't want anyone's pity. I'm fine. Why are you calling me now? I haven't heard from you since December."

"Auggie, I'm sorry if it came across as pity. That was not my intention; I know you're a strong person and I have no doubt that you'll get through this. I called you because I'm going to DC for a conference next week and I was hoping we could have dinner or something. Just to catch up, no commitments."

Auggie thought for a few seconds and then he realized he'd missed Isabelle and it would be good to talk to a friend.

"I'd love to see you. As long as the place is wheelchair accessible we're fine." Auggie paused for a moment. "I'm at a rehab center in Reston now. There's a Chinese restaurant a couple of blocks down the street, we could meet there?"

"Sure. You know I like Chinese food. Monday night at seven?"

"Awesome. I'll text you the address."

"Looking forward to it."

"Me too. See you on Monday."

* * *

Monday afternoon Auggie was fussing abut what to wear. He didn't have that many clothes with him, at least not things that were appropriate for going out to dinner. He finally settled on a pair of dark jeans and a light blue tailored shirt; it was the closest he could get to dressing up. After a shower he shaved away his five o'clock shadow and thoroughly combed his unruly dark hair, before he. He was a bit nervous about how Isabelle would react to him in a wheelchair. With a nervous sigh he grabbed his fleece jacket from the closet and put it in his lap with his wallet and cellphone and left his room. When he was halfway down the hallway Allison came out of a therapy room a few feet in front of him and smiled as she saw Auggie.

"Wow! You sure clean up nicely Auggie. Where are you going?"

Auggie laughed. "Thanks. I'm going to the Chinese place down the road to have dinner with my ex-girlfriend."

"That sounds sort of awkward."

"The only awkward thing about it is this," Auggie said, pointing to his wheelchair. "When we graduated MIT she accepted a job in Silicone Valley and I moved to Georgetown. Neither of us wanted a long distance relationship and we agreed to be friends. She's in DC for business and wanted to catch up with me."

"I'm sure you'll be fine, but I completely understand your nerves. I was so nervous the first time I saw some of my friends after my accident."

"Thanks. I've gotta get going; I'm meeting her at seven. See you around."

"I'm not going anywhere. See ya. Have fun."

"I'll try," Auggie said as he set off toward the main entrance.

# # # # # # # # # # # #

When Auggie got closer to the restaurant he spotted Isabelle standing on the sidewalk outside; she appeared to be nervous and it made him feel a bit better that he wasn't alone in feeling nervous. He took a deep breath as he approached her.

"Hi Isabelle," he said with a smile. She turned and before he knew it she leaned down and hugged him tightly.

"Auggie, it's so good to see you."

"Good to see you too. I've missed you. Are you hungry? I know I am and I'm looking forward to something besides hospital food."

"I thought you were out of the hospital?"

"Hospital, rehab facility…food wise there isn't much of a difference. Shall we?" Auggie opened the door and gestured for Isabelle to enter. She hesitated for a second.

"Isn't it easier for you if I hold the door open for you?"

"Yeah, it is." Auggie said with a smile. "It's just that my mother taught me to hold the door open and let ladies enter first. Old habits die hard."

Isabelle squeezed his shoulder and held the door open. Auggie entered and she followed behind him.

"Thanks Isabelle," he said as they approached the hostess.

# # # # # # # # # # # #

A few minutes later they were seated at a table in the back of the restaurant and a waitress had taken their drink orders. Auggie had surprised himself by impulsively transferring to one of the chairs by the table; he knew Isabelle was watching his every move, so he was relieved when he managed it without making a fool out of himself.

"So Auggie, how are you doing? Looks like you're managing pretty well."

"I'm doing much better than I thought I would be a few months ago. It has taken a lot of hard work to get to where I am today. I'm going back to work in about six weeks."

"That's great! You're still working for Murphy Software?"

"Yeah, I'm just on medical leave. Right now my biggest worry is finding somewhere to live. My condo in Georgetown isn't wheelchair accessible, so it's for sale now and I'm looking for somewhere new to stay. My estate agent promised he'd come back to me with some options this week, so I'll just have to wait and see what he comes up with. Hopefully I don't have to check into a hotel when they kick me out of the rehab facility. Enough about me; what's going on in your world? How's life on the west coast?"

"I really love my job and you can't fault the climate there. It's a bit lonely though, it's kind of hard to meet new people and I miss my family and friends."

"I know what you mean. My social life has been pretty low key since I moved to DC. And being stuck in a hospital in Denver for 10 weeks and then here haven't exactly helped either."

"Probably not," Isabelle said. She was cut off from saying more when the waitress arrived with their drinks and took their food orders. The rest of the meal they chatted easily and then they headed into the bar next door to have a drink or two and continue to catch up.

# # # # # # # # # # # # #

"I haven't had alcohol in a while and my tolerance level is lower than I thought," Auggie said as he had a sip of his beer and set the bottle on the table in front of him. "This is going to be my last beer. I have a training session at 8:30 in the morning, being hung-over isn't really tempting."

"I understand. I have a 9 am meeting with a client, so I this should be my last glass of wine too. So, you're going through lots of grueling therapy and stuff?"

"Well, I was stuck in a rigid back brace for more than two months, while the fractures in my back healed. When I was discharged from the hospital I had lost a lot of muscle mass in my upper body. I've worked hard to regain my strength and get back in shape, but I'm getting there and by the time they kick me out of rehab I intend to be in the best shape I've ever been. Apart from being able to run of course."

"You're pretty amazing, you know that?"

Auggie snorted. "Hardly, but I there's nothing I can do, except to deal with the hand I've been dealt. Took me a while to realize that my life isn't over, it has just changed."

"I have to admit it was a bit weird to see you coming down the street in a wheelchair, but I'm getting used to it and you're still the same person."

"I have to admit I was nervous about meeting you. You're the first friend that I've met as a disabled person. Thanks for not being all weird and awkward."

"As I said; you're still you. There's no reason for me to be weird and awkward. I hate to be the party pooper, but as I said I've got a meeting at 9 tomorrow morning, so I should really get back to my hotel."

"No problem, it's getting late for a weekday. It was really nice seeing you again."

A waitress came up to them and asked them if she could get them anything else. Auggie asked for the check. When she came back with it he handed her his credit card.

"Auggie! You already paid for dinner, let me get this. After all I asked you to meet me tonight," Isabelle said as she pulled her wallet out of her purse.

"I might not be able to hold the door open for you, but I can still pay the bill."

"Auggie, you _can_ still hold the door open for me, it's just easier for you if it's the other way around."

"I'm paying," he repeated. Isabelle smiled and put her wallet back into her purse, knowing she didn't stand a chance of winning the argument. After Auggie had settled the bill he put on his jacket and he and Isabelle headed out of the bar.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening Auggie. Please keep in touch."

"Ditto," Auggie said with a smile. "We've both been kind of strangers since we left MIT. I'd like to keep you as a friend."

"Me too. Well, I'd better get going. Good luck on finding a new house and everything else. Although I know you don't need it." Isabelle hugged Auggie tightly and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks. I'll do my best to keep in touch and I hope it won't be a year 'till we se each other again."

"It won't be if it's up to me."

After another hug Isabelle headed down the street to her rented car and Auggie headed back to the rehab facility.

* * *

_I love reviews - please let me know what you think. :o)_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks for the feedback and ideas you gave me on the previous chapter - I've used some of your ideas. :o) Auggie hits a rough patch in this chapter._

_Again Martin have given me some ideas and input, and he's read through this and given me the thumbs up to go ahead and publish it after some tweaking._

_-Thanks babe! Love you. XOXO_

_PS! I'm not 100% sure about how real estate transactions work in the US, so I hope I haven't made too big of a mess of it._

_DISCLAIMER: Don't own Annie, Auggie or the other characters I've borrowed from Covert Affairs. Just my universe and characters._

* * *

**-Chapter 5-**

"And take them off again!" Heather, Auggie's daily living skills instructor told him as he finished pulling on a pair of jeans. Auggie let a heavy sigh escape his lips. After almost two months at the rehab center Auggie still struggled with putting on jeans and other more fitted pants. Sweatpants and other loose fitting pants didn't give him as much trouble and it annoyed him that such a basic skill as dressing himself was so cumbersome. He missed being able to just stand up and pull his jeans up.

"I know repetition is boring, but practice is the only way to get the hang of this. With time and practice this will become second nature."

"I know," Auggie said as he pulled off the jeans again. "And I don't want to be stuck wearing sweatpants for the rest of my life. I don't think my boss will appreciate it."

For the next hour Auggie continued to practice putting his jeans on and then taking them off. With each repetition it got a bit easier.

"I'm very pleased with your progress Auggie," Heather praised him as he pulled a sweater over his head. "I have no doubt you'll be able to leave here on schedule in about a month. Your main focuses should really be on rebuilding your stamina and upper body strength and I have arranged for an instructor to come in and work with you on advanced wheelchair skills. Christian's injury is similar to yours and he's been in a chair for almost 10 years now. You can learn a lot from him."

"Sounds great! Ummm, what about driving? I need to learn how to drive a car with hand controls."

"We have instructors for that too. Do you already have a car that can just be fitted with hand controls or do you have to buy a new car?"

"I have a car, but it's a '67 Corvette with a manual transmission, so I have to buy a new car."

"Okay, we should probably get the ball rolling on that too, it's less than five weeks 'till you're scheduled to be discharged."

"I know. I've just been waiting for final word about an insurance payout. I got the paperwork a week ago and the money was deposited into my bank account today. I can go ahead and buy a car."

"I'll let the driving instructor know. He can give you recommendations on what kind of car to get and we'll schedule some driving lessons for you."

"Great. Thanks."

"How did it go with the house in Tysons Corner?"

Auggie had accepted an offer on his condo about a week earlier and he'd put in an offer on a single level house in Tysons Corner. It would be perfect for his needs with just a few minor adjustments in the master bathroom and kitchen.

"The seller accepted my offer, I'm just waiting for them to finalize all the paperwork and we'll set a meeting to sign all of it and get the formalities taken care of. Hopefully I'll get the key sometime next week."

"That's great news Auggie! When you get the key we can go over there and assess what we need to do to make it work for you."

"It shouldn't be too much work. That's one of the reasons I made the offer on it."

"I know, but what needs to be done needs to be done and the sooner we assess the needs and get things going the better."

"True. I'm glad things are coming together; it makes it easier to look forward to being discharged when I know I have somewhere to live. I'll let you know as soon as I know when I get the key."

"Great. Well, I have to get to my next appointment. Keep practicing, okay?"

"Will do. See you around."

* * *

When Auggie woke up a couple of days later it was clear to him that it was a bad day from the moment he opened his eyes. It had been a while since he had one, but he'd struggled to find a comfortable position to sleep in all night and now he felt immensely frustrated about not being able to just jump out of bed and head to the bathroom. It felt like a massive effort to lift his legs over the side of bed and transfer to his wheelchair, even though it was something he'd done countless times already and it was starting to feel normal to him. In the bathroom he missed being able to pee standing up and he missed standing in the shower and the feeling of warm water cascading down his body. After the shower Auggie brushed his teeth, shaved and combed his hair and then he went back into his room to get dressed. He struggled to pull on a pair of boxers and when he'd finally managed to get them on he settled of a pair of sweatpants. He just didn't have the energy to deal with pulling a pair of jeans up his useless legs. He sighed as he made the transfer from the side of the bed and to his wheelchair and grabbed a t-shirt from the dresser and pulled it on before he headed to the dining room to have breakfast.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

"Hey Auggie, are you okay?" Allison asked as she came up to the table where Auggie was eating alone.

"Oh, hi Allison. I'm just not in a very sociable mood today. It's just one of those days were nothing feels right… I can't really describe it. I just feel frustrated about everything today."

"You're allowed to have bad days," she said empathetically. "You wouldn't be human if you didn't have some. God knows I've had plenty of them."

"Compared to you I have nothing to complain about."

"So not being able to walk ever again is no big deal? Get real Auggie."

"Huh?"

"You might be able to feed yourself and scratch your nose, but you're still adjusting to a major disability. I know you're relearning how to do lots of things and I bet there is things you used to be able to do you'll miss. What caused you to get so frustrated this morning?"

"Everything. I didn't get much sleep last night, I prefer sleeping on my side or on my stomach and I just couldn't find a comfortable position. I miss just getting out of bed and walking into the bathroom. I miss standing up when I pee, standing in the shower... Then I got frustrated with putting on boxers, so I just got lazy and pulled on a pair of sweatpants instead of jeans. It was just one thing after the other…" Auggie ducked his head with embarrassment after his rant.

"With a bad start like that the day can only get better, right?"

"I guess," Auggie shrugged. "At least I hope so."

"I hope the day gets better for you, I've got to get going, I have a PT session in 5 minutes. See you later."

"Thanks Allison. I'll see you later."

# # # # # # # # # # # #

Auggie's day did get better. After a grueling physical therapy session with Terrence he had a session with Heather. She was obviously in a good mood, since she ignored the fact that he was wearing sweatpants instead of jeans.

"So, are you ready for your first driving lesson?"

"What?" Auggie asked in disbelief.

"Jake is waiting in the parking lot. You want to get back behind the wheel, right?"

"Hells yeah!"

Auggie and Heather made their way out to the parking lot where Jake was waiting with the rehab facility's Toyota Prius. Heather introduced Auggie to him.

"Nice to meet you Auggie. Ready to try this?"

"Definitely!"

A few minutes later he was sitting in the drivers seat and Jake had settled into the passenger seat. He explained how the hand controls worked.

"If you push the lever forward the car accelerates. Pulling it backwards means braking. It's pretty straightforward. Put it in drive and make a circuit here in the parking lot."

Auggie nodded and did as Jake instructed. It felt a bit weird to use his hand to operate the accelerator; he instinctively wanted to put his right foot on the pedal. A wave of nostalgia washed over him yet again, but he quickly pushed the thought away and focused on the task at hand. After a few circuits around the parking lot Jake declared that he thought Auggie was ready to take a drive around Reston and the surrounding area. When they returned an hour later Auggie was smiling as he pulled into a parking space.

"Looks like you enjoyed that," Jake declared as Auggie pushed the power button and turned off the car.

"It was great. It's not as hard as I feared."

"You're a quick study. Some people struggle a lot more than you do. How about we do another lesson tomorrow and then I'll reserve the car for you so you can practice on your own over the weekend?"

"That sounds great. I also need some help with buying my own car."

"Main thing is that the car has an automatic transmission and that you're able to get in and out of it on your own. Other than that it's up to you. The Toyota dealer down the road have worked with us for a while, so they will give you a good deal and they've got a mechanic that fits the hand controls and stuff pretty fast."

"Hmmm… I haven't really thought much about it. I'll think about it for a couple of days and do some research."

"Heather said you've got about a month to go, so you might not be able to get your car in time for that."

"I know. I'll see you again tomorrow. Same time?"

"If you don't have another session scheduled that works fine for me."

"The only thing on my schedule is a training session right after breakfast."

"Same time tomorrow then."

* * *

Monday morning Auggie drove to the office of Arthur Campbell's brother to close the deal on the house. He'd had another driving lesson with Jake and it was his third time driving alone. It felt great to be behind the wheel again and with every drive he felt more comfortable with the hand controls. After signing the paperwork and taking care of the formalities Auggie got the keys for the house and the garage opener.

"Thanks Mr. Campbell, I really appreciate all of your help," Auggie said after the meeting was over.

"No problem. Now, the buyer of your condo wants to take over as soon as possible. If you give me one set of the keys to the house I'll make arrangements for movers to move everything to your house and I'll have a cleaning service come over and make it ready for the new owner. Arthur and his wife offered to help with the packing, so we'll sort that out for you."

"I want to help too. It doesn't feel right to have you do everything for me."

"Well, I just don't see how you'll get up there."

"I can get around with leg braces and crutches, so I'll manage."

"If you're sure why don't we meet there tomorrow afternoon at four?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Do you need me to pick you up?"

"I'll check if the car I'm using today is available. If it is I'll drive myself. I'll let you know as soon as I've checked, okay?"

"No problem. Just send me a text and let me know."

"Will do, thanks so much for you help."

"No problem. See you tomorrow."

* * *

It had taken Auggie nearly half an hour to get up the four flights of stairs to his apartment and when he finally made it his arms felt like jelly. Not long after he let himself in Arthur and his wife Joan arrived and a little while later his brother showed up. Between the four of them they managed to get Auggie's belongings packed and ready for the movers to pick up with three afternoons of packing. He was grateful for his neat streak – it made it much easier to get the job done since they didn't have to sort trough lots of clutter. When they finished Thursday evening Auggie took them all out for dinner as a small thank you for all of their help.

* * *

A week later Auggie had ordered a Toyota Prius, settled the sale of his condo and handed over the keys and he'd been over to the new house with Heather to assess what needed to be done. It was just a few minor things; adding ramps by the front door and up to the door in the garage, putting a seat in the spacious shower in the master bath and a few other things. He considered doing a bigger refurbishment of the kitchen, both to make it more accessible to him and because he didn't really like the style of the cabinets, but for now it would be okay. The Prius wasn't his first choice of vehicle, but the Toyota dealer said they could have a car ready for him in about a month and no other dealership could match that. They all estimated eight to twelve week waits. Auggie didn't want to be without a car for that long and figured he could always replace it later.

* * *

_We're getting close to the end. One or two more chapters and maybe an epilogue should do it.  
_

_Please leave a review. :o)_

**PS! I'm on Twitter - go follow Millemini_FF**


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks for the response to the previous chapter - I appreciate it. :o) So sorry for not updating sooner, this past week have been crazy for me workwise and to add to the chaos an old friend of Martin have been in town all week. He lives in Australia and Martin hadn't seen him since he was in rehab after his accident so they've had a lot of catching up to do. Tonight they're out with some college buddies and I'm home alone - which meant I finally had time to finish and clean up this chapter. Martin read through the first this afternoon and suggested some changes that I've made before publishing._

_-Thanks for the help babe. Love ya. XOXO _

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Annie, Auggie or any other Covert Affairs character I've borrowed. Just my universe and the characters I've created._

* * *

**-Chapter 6-**

Auggie was nervous as he pulled into one of the disabled parking spaces outside Safeway in Reston. He hadn't been out in public much after his accident and he always felt a bit like a spectacle. He had about three weeks left of his rehab and was on his way to spend the weekend at his new house. Jake had allowed him to use the rehab facility's Prius over the weekend; Auggie was grateful that he didn't have to worry about cabs. He his hands trembled a bit as he pulled the parts of his wheelchair from the passenger seat and put it back together. He'd done it numerous times, but he still struggled a bit with it. "Get a grip Aug," he thought as he took a deep breath and transferred from the car to the wheelchair. As he placed his feet on the footrest he realized that someone was staring, but he decided to ignore it. He double-checked that he had his wallet and cell phone in the pocket of his fleece jacket before he slammed the car door shut and locked the car.

Just inside the doors he was relieved when he saw that the store had a few of the carts designed for people in manual wheelchairs. He grabbed one and attached it to the front of his wheelchair like Heather had shown him on a fieldtrip to another grocery store a while back and set off into the store. He picked up a small selection of fruit and vegetables, chicken and steak from the deli section and some other basics he knew he needed. He'd do a full-scale re-stock of his pantry when he moved in permanently, but for now he settled for the basic things he'd need over the weekend. He also grabbed a fridge pack with Coke and a couple of six-packs of his favorite beer. Auggie was relieved when he loaded his groceries onto the checkout counter; it had gone better than he feared and he'd only had to ask for assistance a couple of times when he couldn't reach things on the upper shelves and the people he'd asked for help had been friendly and happy to help. After he'd paid the bagger offered to put away the cart and carry the groceries to the car for him. Auggie gratefully accepted and tipped him generously after he'd loaded the groceries into the trunk for him.

# # # # # # # # # #

Auggie became a bit frustrated when he arrived at the house. Before his accident he would've slung his bag over his shoulder and grabbed the shopping bags from the trunk and carried it all into the house in one haul. It took him five trips back to the car to get everything inside. On the final trip from the car he dumped his duffle bag outside the bedroom door before he proceeded into the kitchen to get the groceries stashed away and prepare dinner. He'd been over at the house with Heather a few times to unpack and organize everything, so he easily located everything he needed in the cabinets and drawers. With a bit of struggling he prepared a stir-fry with noodles and he felt very pleased with himself when he settled in by the small dining table to eat. It was a good feeling to be able to do things for himself again and cooking was something he'd enjoyed since he was a teenager. During his high school years he'd been the only Anderson boy living at home and he'd often spent his free afternoons sitting on one of the barstools by the kitchen, doing his homework while his mother prepared dinner. If he didn't have homework to do he'd helped her with the dinner preparations and sometimes, if his mother had a meeting or something, he prepared the entire meal.

# # # # # # # # # #

Late that evening Auggie was relaxing on the couch in the living room. As he looked around the sparsely furnished room he realized he needed to do some furniture shopping; he'd moved from a one-bedroom loft and now he had a four-bedroom house with a large living room and a den to furnish. Auggie was also reconsidering his decision to not refurbish the kitchen to start with. Although it was okay it was far from ideal and the wood cabinets really wasn't his style. Thanks to the insurance payout money wasn't an issue so he decided to do go to a few kitchen showrooms the following day and check out the options. He drained his beer and settled back into his wheelchair and made a quick detour into the kitchen to dump the beer bottle in the recycling bin. Twenty minutes later he had settled into bed and he drifted off to sleep pretty fast. It felt good to be back in his own bed.

* * *

After visiting three kitchen showrooms Auggie was a bit frustrated. While all of them had cabinets he liked none of the designers he'd spoken to seemed to have much experience with designing wheelchair accessible kitchens and they didn't seem very interested in helping him. When he pulled into the parking lot at the fourth kitchen showroom he didn't have high hopes, but he figured it was worth a shot. A few minutes later he was browsing through the store and he liked several of their kitchens.

"Good afternoon, Sir," a female employee greeted him as he passed the reception desk in the middle of the store. "Let me know if I can be of any assistance."

"Actually, I was wondering if you have any solutions for wheelchair users? I just moved in to a new house and the kitchen there isn't really working for me."

"We do, if you come around here I'll show you," she replied enthusiastically. She showed Auggie to a kitchen in the back of the store. "This model is actually designed with wheelchair users in mind. Are you alone in your house or do you share it with someone?"

"I'm single at the moment, but you never know what might happen in the future. I'd like a kitchen that's both functional for me and people with working legs."

"That's doable. What some people do is that they double up on the hob and sink, they have one set that's lower and open underneath so it's accessible to the wheelchair user and one set that's at normal counter height. There is a wide selection of appliances that are great for wheelchair users, I'd be happy to show you some options."

"Thanks, that would be great," Auggie said with a smile.

"If you have a sketch of your kitchen with the floor plan and measurements I'd be happy to make a first draft for you."

"I have the floor plan I got from the estate agent, but I can't guarantee how accurate the measurements are. I haven't double checked."

"Let me see it," she insisted and Auggie handed it over. She quickly looked at it. "This is enough for a first draft. I have time now if you want to look at it with me."

"We can do it right now?"

"Yeah, sure. Let's go into my office."

# # # # # # # # # #

An hour later Auggie left the store with two first drafts for a new kitchen in a folder and a stack of appliance catalogues. He wanted to look them over with Heather and he'd promised the kitchen designer, Miriam, that he'd get back to her later that week. When he'd mentioned that he was a bit overwhelmed with the thought of furnishing the whole house she'd enthusiastically offered to help him. It turned out she was an interior designer and took on some projects freelance in addition to her job as a kitchen designer.

* * *

Auggie's final three weeks at the rehab center were busy; he was still training hard physically and there were lots of little things that needed to be taken care of. The biggest setback was when the Toyota dealer called him and informed him that his car wouldn't be ready on time. The delay meant that Auggie wouldn't be able to go back to work on schedule and he felt slightly uneasy as he dialed Arthur Campbell's number.

"Campbell."

"Hi Arthur, it's Auggie Anderson."

"Auggie, how are you? Ready to get back to real life?"

"Well, sort of… I'm being discharged from rehab two and a half weeks from now as scheduled, but my car is delayed. I'll get it in about four weeks."

"I see," Arthur said, pausing to think. "You have a home office at your house, right?"

"I've put my desk into one of the bedrooms and I plan on furnishing that as an office, yeah. Furniture shopping hasn't been high on the list of priorities lately."

"So you'll be able to work from home until your car is ready? I can have a crew from tech support come over to your house and set up a workstation in your home office."

"Really?"

"Really. I need you to start working again as soon as possible. We're swamped right now, several big projects. You'll just have to communicate with your co-workers via Skype and you might have to come in for a meeting or two. In those instances the company will pay for a cab."

"I can manage that. Thank you so much Arthur. Again you go above and beyond for me."

"Nonsense. We need you and strictly speaking it doesn't matter where you do your job as long as you do it well."

They chatted for a few minutes and agreed that a tech support team from Murphy should install a workstation at his house sometime the coming week.

* * *

Saturday two weeks before he was scheduled to leave the rehab facility Auggie was at his house, waiting for Miriam to come over. He'd exchanged some emails back and forth with her regarding the kitchen designs and they'd agreed that she should come over to look at the house and take proper measurements. They were getting close to agreeing on a design that Auggie thought would work well for him and he liked the look of it. He was just pouring himself a cup of coffee when the doorbell rang. It was Miriam and Auggie lead the way into the kitchen and offered her a cup of coffee too. She quickly surveyed the room and had a couple of sips of her coffee.

"I can see why you want to change this. Judging from your furniture and the style of cabinets you picked out at the showroom this isn't really your style. It's definitely not very wheelchair friendly either."

"My initial thought when I bought the house was that it would do for a while and it works, but it's far from ideal. And I really don't like the cabinets at all. They're too dark and old fashioned."

"This room is pretty amazing and these cabinets doesn't really suit the house IMO. I don't get why the previous owners installed this style cabinets in such a modern house."

"That kinda threw me too. I bought the house for two reasons; I like the modern architecture and it's accessible to me. The latter was most important when I made the decision."

"Understandable. Why don't we make it even more accessible to you and get the inside to match the outside?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Auggie said with a smile. "Have any ideas?"

"Oh yes, several."

When Miriam left two hours later she'd taken measurements and pictures of all of the rooms and Auggie had given her a spare set of keys, a budget and orders to furnish the living room, den, guest bedrooms and the office. He just wanted to see the plans and give his final approval before she went ahead and made the purchases. They had also made an appointment for Auggie to come to the kitchen showroom to finalize the plans for the new kitchen and plan the refurbishment process. Miriam had promised to coordinate all the work and make sure Auggie didn't have to worry about anything but paying the bill.

* * *

"Wow Auggie, your interior designer have been busy over the past couple of weeks," Heather exclaimed as she and Auggie entered his house a few days before he was leaving the rehab facility. She wanted to come over one last time to make sure there weren't anything they'd missed that needed to be done before Auggie moved in there permanently. Over the past week and a half Miriam had furnished the living room, den and Auggie's home office. The guest rooms still weren't completed, but the furniture was ordered and scheduled to arrive a few weeks later.

"Yeah, I'm amazed at how much she has accomplished so quickly. She has done a great job and I'm really happy with how everything is coming together. I'm glad I stumbled across her because I was really dreading the prospect of furnishing the entire house. It was a bit overwhelming to me."

"You can see that it's the work of a professional, everything is so right together, without being obvious matches, if you know what I mean," Heather said as she looked around Auggie's living room. Miriam had put up striped wallpaper on one wall and she'd picked up the colors from it on the accent items such as curtains, pillows, lampshades and throws. The furniture was in neutral colors; mostly dark gray and a black. The couch had soft, fluffy pillows but it still had clean, modern lines. Auggie's well-worn brown leather armchair and matching ottoman went well with the new furniture; as did the credenza he'd inherited from his grandparents. His old couch with a chaise lounge on one end had been moved to the den. When Miriam had arranged the furniture in the living room she'd made sure it was set up so Auggie could easily move around in his wheelchair without constantly crashing into furniture.

"I know. If I'd done the shopping it would've been much more random. I figured that since I can afford it and I have no plans to move anytime soon I might as well splurge a bit and get good quality furniture."

"Good thinking. I hope I'm able to do that in my own home sometime, but right how I'm living in a rented apartment so IKEA furniture will have to do. So, when will they start the work on the kitchen?"

"In about six weeks. I can't say I'm looking forward to living in a building site for a few weeks, but I know it's going to be worth it."

"It will. Well, as far as I can see the house is ready for you. How about you? Are you ready to move in and rejoin the real world?"

Auggie leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. He bowed his head and exhaled slowly before he spoke. "I guess. As ready as I can be. I wish the damn car wasn't delayed, but there's not much I can do about that."

"I think you're ready and you'll do great. I understand you're frustrated about the car, but it'll be ready in few weeks and you've made arrangements with you employer until then, right?"

"Yeah. I have to admit that part of me is relieved that I don't have to go back to the office yet. I'll manage until I get the car, it's a bit annoying because the main reason I settled for the Prius was that they promised to have it ready in time for my discharge and now the difference in waiting time between that and the BMW I really wanted is minimal. At least I'm saving some money," he shrugged. "And the Toyota dealer said they'd make it happen as soon as possible, if I'm lucky they get it to me sooner than what they said."

"Let's hope so. I guess we should get back to Reston. You have an appointment with Lindsay at four, right?"

"Yeah, she insisted on one final session before I'm discharged. Let's get out of here," Auggie said as he headed for the front door.

* * *

_We're getting close to the end. The next chapter will cover Auggie's first few weeks in "the real world" and that's it I guess._

_BTW, the shopping cart I described is something a few grocery stores here have. They're really neat; they're attached to the front of the wheelchair so the person in the wheelchair can wheel themselves around and push the cart simultaneously. Martin and I often use them when we go grocery shopping, our neighborhood grocery store have a couple. If anyone is interested I'll snap a pic the next time we're there and tweet it._

_Leave me a review and let me know what ya think. :o)_


	7. Chapter 7

_I've been really busy lately. Work has been crazy and what I thought would be a quiet days alone where I'd have time to write ended up being Martin & me time (which I'm not really complaining about). Today I finally managed to finish this chapter. It took a bit of a left turn __midway which means my original plan for just one or two more chapters might be changing. _

_I've seen some CA season 4 spoilers and boy does it look like we're in for the best season yet! July 16th can't come fast enough!_

_Thanks to Martin for helping me and looking this over - always appreciate your help babe! :o)_

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Auggie or any other character I've borrowed from Covert Affairs. Just my universe and the characters I've created._

* * *

**-Chapter 7-**

Auggie had been out of the rehab center for about a week and so far he thought things were going pretty well. Arthur Campbell hadn't exaggerated when he said they were swamped at Murphy and when Auggie logged into his email the first morning he started working again he'd been slightly overwhelmed with the contents. He'd spent the better part of the morning printing project descriptions and sorting through everything to get grip on things before a videoconference with Arthur and his closest supervisor. He hadn't felt less overwhelmed when they'd ended the conference, but he had a better understanding of the projects and what needed to be done. Since he didn't have much else to keep him occupied Auggie had ended up spending close to 12 hours a day in his home office the first week and he'd made great progress on his projects. When he went to bed just before midnight on Thursday he felt confident about the end of the week videoconference he had scheduled with Arhtur and the team he was working with the following morning.

# # # # # # # # # # # # #

When he woke up Friday morning Auggie felt more relaxed and rested than he had in a while until he looked at his alarm clock; it was 8:35 am. He'd overslept and it was only 25 minutes until the videoconference. He quickly got out of bed and hurried into the bathroom to brush his teeth, shave and brush his hair. There was no time for a shower. When he finished pulling on a clean pair of boxers fifteen minutes later Auggie realized he didn't have time to pull on a pair of jeans; even though it had gotten easier as time had gone by and he'd practiced it still took him several minutes. He quickly decided that his lower body would be disguised by the desk and pulled a gray dress shirt from the hanger and put it on. At 8:52 he logged onto his computer and soon the conference started. Things went well and Auggie felt pretty happy about how he'd managed to get ready in time. Until he realized that the thumb drive with the most recent project data was sitting on the second desk and he'd have to push away from his desk and reveal his lack of pants to retrieve it. While the rest of the team seemed to be pretty engrossed in a report from one of the other developers Auggie seized the opportunity to get the drive and he was relieved that no one had seemed to notice. When it was his turn he gave his report and he was satisfied with the feedback he got from his supervisor; it wasn't all positive, but it was constructive and would help him move on with the project. After everyone had left the conference room it was Arthur and Auggie left.

"You've done some good work this week Auggie. I have to admit I wasn't thrilled with the prospect of you working from home, I didn't think you'd be very effective, but my fears have been unfounded."

"Thanks Arthur, I'm doing my best. It's been a bit of a struggle to get my brain back into work mode. It haven't exactly been my main focus lately."

"I know and that's understandable. I'm just pleased you've been able to get back into things so quickly. How does it feel to be done with your rehab?"

"It's good. I was ready to get out of there and get on with my life."

"Good to hear it. Have a nice weekend and we'll talk again next week."

"Thanks Arthur. Say hi to Joan and have a nice weekend too."

"Will do. Oh and Anderson, put on some pants the next time, okay?"

Before Auggie could say anything Arthur disappeared from the screen. Auggie felt his face go red and with a deep sigh he released the brakes on is wheelchair and headed into the bedroom to put on a pair of jeans. Apparently he hadn't been as stealthy as he hoped.

* * *

When Arthur had allowed him to work from home Auggie had made a conscious decision to not work at all Saturday and Sunday. Working long days Monday through Friday would have to do and he wanted the weekends to be his time. When Auggie logged off his computer the first Friday afternoon after five in the afternoon the he had no clear idea of what he should fill his weekend with. The previous weekend he'd kept himself busy with getting settled into the house, but now he had two full days ahead with nothing specific to fill them with. That he still didn't have a car limited his options severely. He'd mostly stayed in the house since his discharge from the rehab center, apart from a much-needed trip to the supermarket. The whole experience had been pretty frustrating because he could only purchase whatever would fit in the backpack on the back of his wheelchair and in his lap. It meant he'd only been able to get a small selection of groceries, so he'd had quite a few meals delivered over the past week. He figured the upside was that he got to know the restaurants in his area that delivered, and since his kitchen was more of a pain in the ass to cook in than he'd anticipated he didn't mind not cooking that much. He really hoped his car would be ready the coming week as promised, because he missed being able to drive and he knew it would add a new layer of independence to his life.

* * *

When Auggie woke up Saturday morning he just lay in bed for a while, contemplating what to fill the day with. Part of him was tempted to just pull on a pair of sweats and watch TV all day, but part of him realized he couldn't spend the rest of his life in his house and that he needed to suck it up and venture out into the 'real world'. With a sigh he sat up in bed, pulled the covers back and lifted his legs over the edge of the bed. Just as he god ready to transfer to his wheelchair his landline phone rang. He grabbed the handset on his nightstand and answered the call without checking the caller-ID.

"It's Auggie."

"Hi Auggie…it's so good to hear your voice…"

"Mom, hi…how'd you get my number?" Auggie hadn't given any of his family his new landline number.

"It's listed honey. Since you haven't been answering your cell I looked it up."

"Oh…" Auggie was mentally kicking himself for not getting an unlisted number. He wasn't sure he was ready to deal with his family yet.

"How are you doing? You're done with rehab, right? And you got a new place to live?"

"I'm okay. Finished rehab a week ago, started working again on Monday. I bought a house in Tysons Corner, it's single level and wheelchair accessible."

"Oh, right…um…that sounds…eh…great Auggie…" his mother managed to sputter out, clearly flustered.

"It is," Auggie said quietly. He didn't really know what to say or how to respond. He didn't really feel ready to get back in touch with his family yet. "I've gotta go Mom. Thanks for calling. Love you." Before his mother could say anything else Auggie ended the call. He replaced the handset in the cradle on his nightstand and flopped back on the bed. Part of him felt horrible for hanging up on his mother like that, but he just wasn't ready to let her or the rest of his family into his life again.

# # # # # # # # # # #

After lying on his bed for another half hour Auggie decided it was time to get up. He sat up and finished the transfer to his wheelchair and headed into the bathroom. Half an hour later he came out of the bathroom with a towel draped around his waist and he headed over to the closet. He quickly grabbed a pair of soft, worn jeans, a grey Henley shirt and clean underwear and socks. The whole process of pulling on boxers and jeans was frustrating and took him several minutes. "Stop it Auggie," he berated himself. "It's going to be this way for the rest of your life and you might as well get used to it." After he finished pulling on the jeans he quickly pulled the shirt over his head and put the socks on his feet before he wheeled over to the shoe rack and grabbed a pair of sneakers and put them on. It was a reasonably warm late summer day and Auggie decided he didn't need a jacket. He stopped in front of the full-length mirror in his hallway on his way to the front door. It still felt a bit strange to see himself in a wheelchair, but he'd gotten used to it and he looked way better than the first time he'd seen himself in the hospital elevator not long after he was injured. He realized that his upper body had probably never been in better shape.

# # # # # # # # # # # #

Auggie felt a weird knot in his stomach as he entered the mall in Tysons Corner. He noticed that some people stared at him as he made his way through the mall. He didn't really have a big goal for his shopping trip, but he could use some new dress slacks and shirts for when he was going back to the office. He decided to go into Macy's and the experience was less awkward than he'd anticipated. They had couple of spacious accessible dressing rooms and the salesperson that helped him was friendly and professional.

Auggie felt pleased with himself when he left the store with two pairs of dress slacks, three shirts, a belt and a couple of t-shirts half an hour later. His stomach growled and he realized he'd skipped breakfast. It was getting close to noon and he figured he should get something to eat. A pizza place a bit further down the hallway caught his eye and a few minutes later a waitress had shown him to a table.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked as she set a menu on the table in front of him.

"A glass of iced tea please." Auggie flashed her a bright smile.

"I'll be right back."

A few minutes later she returned with his drink and took his order for a barbecue chicken pizza. It turned out to be the best pizza Auggie had ever eaten. He ate the whole thing and was wiping his mouth with a napkin when the waitress reappeared.

"I was going to ask if you liked it, but I guess your empty plate answers that question," she said with a smile as she grabbed Auggie's plate.

"Best pizza I've ever had," he replied with a smile.

"Can I get you anything else? Our Tiramisu is awesome."

"I bet it is, but I don't think there's room for that in my stomach. I'll try it the next time I'm here."

"You live in the area?"

"Just moved into a house about 10 minutes down the road."

"Well, if you want some tips from a local, feel free to ask. I've lived here my whole life and know the area like the back of my hand."

"I might take you up on that."

"Well, the lunch rush it about to start. Can I get you anything else?"

"Just the check, thanks."

She returned with the check and when Auggie opened the folder he also found a small note with "Keely, 555-1203" written on it. He quickly calculated a generous tip and pulled out the cash from his wallet. He fingered a business card, contemplating whether he should leave it there or not. "Well, what do I have to lose?" he thought as he circled his cell number and put it on top of the cash. He snatched the note with her number and put it in his walled before he closed the folder and put it in his lap. Keely was standing by the hostess station and he wheeled up to her and handed her the folder.

"Thanks for a great meal Keely. I'll see you around," he said with a smile.

"My pleasure," she said as she returned the smile.

* * *

Wednesday the following week Auggie blocked off his schedule after lunch and headed to the Toyota dealer in Reston to pick up his car. He'd been incredibly relieved when they'd called Monday afternoon to tell him his Prius would be ready for pickup after noon on Wednesday. A small part of him had wished for the car to be delayed even further, so he wouldn't have to start working at the offices. He liked working from home more than he'd imagined. He avoided the hassle of commuting and he didn't have to deal with awkward co-workers.

Getting his car went smoothly; he signed the paperwork and the dealer handed over the keys. Auggie couldn't suppress a smile as he approached the car. Sure, the Prius wasn't his first choice of car and the permanent disabled plates made him cringe slightly, but it was his car. The smile stayed on his face as he settled into the drivers seat and placed his wheelchair in the passenger seat. When Auggie pulled into traffic the smile grew into a happy little boy smile; he had a car again and he decided to spend the afternoon taking a long drive in the Virginia countryside.

* * *

_Please leave a review and let me know what you think. :o)_


	8. Chapter 8

After careful consideration I've decided that chapter 7 was the end of this story. Auggie is out of rehab, living independently and working again. This story was about to be about his recovery and that has been covered. Thank you to all that have read and reviewed this story. I truly appreciate it. I'm working on more chapters for "For as long as we both shall live", which hopefully will be posted soon.

-Mille


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